Country page · Sub-Saharan Africa
If you were born in South Africa
1 in 112 babies · 0.89% of births · about 1,196,530 a year
Right now, about 0.89% of the world's babies are born in South Africa — 1 in 112, or roughly 1,196,530 a year and 3,278 a day. Life expectancy there is 66.3 years.
How the 1 in 112 is calculated
This number is not based on population. It uses births: South Africa has about 1,196,530 births a year, and the world has about 134,147,481. Divide one by the other and you get 0.89% — 1 in 112. Using population instead would understate young countries and overstate ageing ones, so every draw is weighted by births.
Life in South Africa, in numbers
| Indicator | Value | World rank |
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy women 69.8 · men 62.8 | 66.3 years | 139th highest of 172 countries |
| Chance of dying before 5 35.1 / 1,000 | 3.5% | 120th lowest of 170 countries |
| Chance of dying before 1 24.2 / 1,000 | 2.4% | 115th lowest of 170 countries |
| Mothers who die giving birth per 100,000 births | 118 | 114th lowest of 170 countries |
| Children per woman | 2.21 | 90th lowest of 172 countries |
| Expected years of schooling | 13.5 years | 77th highest of 168 countries |
| Tertiary enrollment | 23.5% | 108th highest of 168 countries |
| Income per person (PPP) GDP per capita, PPP | $15,906 | 95th highest of 170 countries |
| Income inequality closer to 0 = more equal | 54.10 | 5th highest of 157 countries |
| People living in cities | 63.8% | 85th highest of 172 countries |
| People working in farming | 5.4% | 47th lowest of 171 countries |
| People using the internet | 78.4% | 91st highest of 172 countries |
| Homicide per 100,000 people | 43.7 | 153rd lowest of 155 countries |
| Health costs paid out of pocket share of health spending | 6.7% | 5th lowest of 168 countries |
| Adults living with HIV | 17.20% | 2nd highest of 142 countries |
| People who smoke | 23.7% | — |
How to read these numbers
Income is shown in purchasing-power-parity dollars, so it compares what money buys locally rather than market exchange rates. The under-5 rate is the share of babies who die before their fifth birthday; the maternal mortality ratio is per 100,000 live births. A Gini index closer to 0 means a more equal income distribution, and a higher number means a more unequal one.
Each indicator uses the most recent year with a non-empty value, which can differ by country; the rank compares this country with the other 171 in the dataset, not with every country on Earth. Where a value is missing, the page shows a dash rather than an estimate.
South Africa compared with Sub-Saharan Africa
Life expectancy in South Africa is 66.3 years, against a Sub-Saharan Africa average of 0.0. The under-5 death rate is 3.5%, versus 0.0% across the region. Income per person is $15,906, against $0 regionally; expected schooling is 13.5 years against 0.0. 63.8% of people live in cities, against 0.0% in the region.
| Indicator | South Africa | Sub-Saharan Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy | 66.3 years old | — | 73.3 years old |
| Under-5 deaths | 3.5% | — | 2.6% |
| Income per person (PPP) | $15,906 | — | $30,311 |
| Expected schooling | 13.5 years | — | 13.0 years |
| People in cities | 63.8% | — | 61.6% |
What a life there looks like
Put those numbers together and you get a life: about 66.3 years on average, with roughly 35.1 of every 1,000 babies dying before their fifth birthday. A child can expect 13.5 years of school, and income per person is around $15,906. These are averages — every life still lands somewhere on the distribution.
If you play as someone born in South Africa
The game draws South Africa in about 1 of every 112 births. From there the life runs year by year: 66.3 years of life expectancy on average, a 3.5% chance of dying before five, and an income of about $15,906 per person. Choices move the odds; the starting statistics do not.
Nearby and similar countries
- Chance of being born in Niger — 1 in 116
- Chance of being born in Mozambique — 1 in 102
- Chance of being born in Madagascar — 1 in 129
- All 172 countries
Frequently asked questions
What are the odds of being born in South Africa?
What is life expectancy in South Africa?
How many babies are born in South Africa each year?
Is South Africa a good country to be born in, in the game?
Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, with UN World Population Prospects 2024 and UN IGME for births and mortality. Values are the most recent non-empty year for each indicator; the year is noted where it differs. Page updated Oct 24, 2026.